Virtual Care Program growing in breadth and sophistication

Progress supported by generous donors at recent gala

Guests mingle at the Virtual Care Gala at the Grand Quai on October 18. (Click to enlarge photo.)

Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal at the Virtual Care Gala.

As virtual care moves into a new phase of expansion and sophistication, its supporters in CIUSSS West-Central Montreal are marshaling their efforts to ensure the program can keep growing in versatility and effectiveness to meet the continually evolving needs of healthcare users.

Building on their recent success, members of staff are strengthening virtual care services by investigating the potential benefits of artificial intelligence, making greater use of augmented reality technology, and expanding the coverage of the award-winning Hospital@Home program.

In a recent show of support, members of the public—including major donors—turned out by the hundreds for a Virtual Care Gala on October 18 in the Grand Quai at Montreal’s Old Port.

While enjoying the music and food, guests mingled with many of the CIUSSS’s leaders, medical professionals, nurses and support staff who are affiliated with the Virtual Care Program.

The event was organized by Gary Wechsler, former Chair of the JGH Foundation, with the Foundation’ssupport.

Erin Cook, Associate CEO of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal.

“Without our generous donors, we couldn’t come close to doing what is already under way or what we’re hoping to implement in the future,” says Erin Cook, the CIUSSS’s Associate CEO.

She notes that since the CIUSSS must supply materials for its own programs, it is donors who are making it possible to purchase the equipment, develop the IT platforms and training materials, and optimize the quality of care that users receive.

“The focus of our network is on user-centred care, and we’re pushing boundaries by making greater use of virtual care,” says Dr. Lawrence Rudski, Medical Director of Virtual Care and the JGH’s Chief of Cardiology.

Since the thrust of virtual care is to support users in the comfort of their own home, the program aligns with Care Everywhere, the CIUSSS’s overall philosophy of care—a commitment to strive for the right outcomes by providing the right care at the right time in the location that is the safest, most appropriate and most convenient for users.

Here are some of the key developments in the Virtual Care Program, which is co-managed by Dr. Rudski and Kathy Malas (Director of Quality, Transformation, Evaluation, Value, Ethics and Virtual Care):

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  Dr. Lawrence Rudski, Medical Director of Virtual Care and the JGH’s Chief of Cardiology.

  A project has been launched in the Emergency Department to obtain the results of virology tests within minutes, as opposed to hours or even the next day. This is achieved by using a “Point-of-care” testing system, which will eventually be introduced into other sites in the CIUSSS.

• Tentatively starting in November, piloting will begin on an AI-based tool that predicts which users are best suited for care in the Hospital@Home Program.
• The Hospital@Home Program is being broadened to encompass additional users with mental health problems.
• In conjunction with OROT (the CIUSSS’s Connected Health Innovation Hub), virtual care tools are being developed to help train staff in providing remote care.
• With the use of sensors in residents’ room in long-term care centres, sleep patterns and other types of behaviour will be monitored to detect patterns that point to various risks, including the possibility of falling. The goal is to lower the number of transfers to hospital for treatment.
• The use of virtual reality technology is being expanded in long-term care centres to help in pain management.

Ms. Cook says the level of satisfaction among caregivers in the Hospital@Home program is monitored regularly to ensure the program is running smoothly. The results have been consistently positive and have outperformed expectations. Most patients in the program also prefer participation in Hospital@Home to receiving care in the hospital.

“We’ve come a long way since the Virtual Care Program and Hospital@Home were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she adds. “Now we need to press ahead by continuing to add improvements and refinements that will further boost the quality of care and the number of people who can benefit.”